Update: I have been warned that when you hit the double-track around Cleveland Mine, this becomes a private drive. Please be sure that if you hike this far and all the way to the Fanny Fern Mine that you are respectful the property and any signage you find there. As with many trails in CO, there is complex ownership along this trail. Mining claims are extremely common across all trails. Many owners are kind enough to let people hike through implied easements and we all need to be respectful and thankful and turn back especially if you hit Private Propert or No Trespassing signs.
Lake City is a historic Colorado mining town. It is also a great place to take a hike. So obviously, the best thing you could do is hike to a mine. But even better than that would be to hike to two old mines!
There is a trail just south of Lake City that starts up near the cell tower you can see from town. You drive up Alpine St and park just before the cell tower. As with most hikes in the Rockies, you will have to pay it forward by hiking up on the way in and down on the way out. This trail does not have an official name as far as I can tell but many people call it the Fanny Fern Mine Trail.
As you hike in, you get excellent views immediately because you are starting up high above Henson Creek. You will see the water pipes up there that feed the ice climbing wall in winter. Views of the canyon are spectacular and it is fun to see from above where you can go drive/hike/ride later on the way up to Engineer Pass. You get to have two perspectives of this unique canyon just feet from the center of town.
The trail splits a few times but (as far as I have seen) all those paths join back up together before you get to the 4×4 trail. This part of the hike is pretty easy compared to most trails in CO. As you will be taking the same trail out and back, you can hike in as far as you are able and just turn back when it feels like time. Even if you only hike a few hundred paces in, it is worth the trip.
When you reach the 4×4 trail, you are close to Cleveland Mine. Take a left to go uphill. There are a couple cool old buildings there. After this, the trail is more vertical. This is still minimal compared to most trails but worth noting if you are not used to this sort of hiking.
On my tracker, the total distance up was about 1.8 miles with 868ft gain. It took about an hour with a group of little kids and retirees. Not a stroll around town but not extreme sports either.
There are a million hikes around Lake City but this is one of my favorites to recommend because of the proximity and immediate views.
